Mesothelioma Palliative Care

Unfortunately, the life expectancy for those who suffer from mesothelioma is relatively short. Most patients are only given 8 to 12 months to live after being diagnosed with the disease. Many times, this is because of the difficulty in diagnosing mesothelioma in its early stages, as it mimics symptoms of more typical and less serious diseases. By the time mesothelioma has developed past a certain stage, curative measures are not advisable, and the cancer has metastasized throughout the body.

If physicians do not believe surgical resection is possible, or that chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or less traditional therapies will be helpful, palliative care may be recommended. As well, if a patient decides they would rather live the remainder of their lives in as much comfort as possible, they may choose palliative care over traditional treatment.

What is Palliative Care?

Traditionally, palliative care is defined as medical treatment that focuses on comfort and increased quality of a person�s life. There are no specific therapies in palliative care that are excluded, but most of the time the focus is on pain control and enjoyment and comfort measures. The patient, the physician, all loved ones involved in the care of the patient, as well as hospice workers and other professionals will all come to an agreement as to the course for achieving palliative care. It is up to the individual as to what type of goals they wish to achieve for the remainder of their life; for example, increasing energy and relieving pain would be achieved by a special dietary and exercise program, as well as medications. The focus in palliative care is not treating the disease, but in relieving the symptoms.

Palliative care is also put into place for people who are undergoing traditional medical treatments. This can include pain management programs for those suffering from pain caused by chemotherapy, or increased hydration programs for symptoms of dehydration and dry mouth caused by pain medications or radiation therapy.

Palliative Care for Mesothelioma

Most people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma will experience a variety of different symptoms. Often, the level of pain experienced with mesothelioma is very high, due to the disease itself, as well as the recommended treatments. Thus, pain control is usually one of the first things addressed with mesothelioma palliative care. This can include the more traditional pain management programs, such as prescribing several different pain medications, but it can also focus on behavior modification, stress management, meditation, or even massage therapy, just to name a few.

Some of the other symptoms that are usually addressed by palliative care for mesothelioma patients can include fatigue, dry mouth, shortness of breath, depression, loss of appetite, and physical changes. It is up to the patient, the physician, and all loved ones involved to define a goal for palliative treatment and remain open to changing it as the symptoms change. Palliative care, whether through managing problems caused by traditional treatment or as an option to invasive therapies, can be a sound choice to increase the remaining quality of life for patients who suffer from mesothelioma.

For more news on Mesothelioma Palliative Care visit PubMed: Mesothelioma Palliative Care or CH - Mesothelioma Palliative Care.